ABSTRACT
The term ‘body image’ refers to our idea of how our body looks and how it is perceived by others. It is the mental picture that we hold about our physical appearance, and encompasses how we feel about the size, shape, weight and look of our bodies. Our body image is quite independent of our actual size, shape or appearance. Anyone, of any physical description, can have a positive or negative body image. Because our feelings about our bodies are so deeply connected to our overall view of ourselves, having a poor body image is strongly associated with low self-esteem. A negative body image can be linked to mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression, and to the eating disorders anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Obsessive and exhausting over-exercising behaviour, yo-yo dieting, reluctance to socialise, difficulties with relationships and financial problems have all been associated with poor body image.
